Intercept? Port interception? Customs clearance? For newly established freight forwarders or inexperienced shippers, hearing these words is inevitably confusing.
So, in the international logistics industry, what exactly do these customs closures, port closures, and clearance refer to? What are the differences?
01What is a cutoff?
Customs clearance (receiving date) refers to the latest date when the goods are handed over to a designated vessel for shipment, also known as the cut-off time, which is the deadline for customs clearance and release. The goods must be cleared and released before customs clearance, and the customs release slip must be submitted to the shipping company.
After this time, if the customs release slip is submitted, the shipping company will consider the goods as not cleared and will not allow them to board the ship. Usually 1-2 days before the departure date of the ship (5-7 days in advance for bulk cargo), and usually half a working day after the cut-off time.
The cut-off release note refers to the release note (i.e. the certificate of loading) issued by the customs after the goods are declared. Then the customs broker will hand over the release note to the shipping company. After receiving this release note, the shipping company will know that the cargo container has been cleared by customs before arranging for the container to be loaded onto the ship.
02 What is interception?
Port interception is also known as container cut-off (return) time. The meaning is that after this time, the shipping company will no longer arrange for the voyage to be returned to the container.
Prior to this time, the loaded containers can enter the dock or warehouse, and after that, they cannot enter the dock again, usually 1-2 days before the ship's departure date (5-7 days in advance for bulk cargo).
03 What is customs clearance?
Whether it is imported goods, exported goods, or transshipped goods entering a country's customs territory or border, it is necessary to declare to the customs, complete various customs procedures, and fulfill the obligations stipulated by various laws and regulations; Only after fulfilling various obligations and completing customs declaration, inspection, taxation, release and other procedures can the goods be released, and the owner or declarant can pick up the goods.
Similarly, various means of transportation carrying import and export goods must also declare to the customs, handle customs procedures, and obtain permission from the customs for entry, exit, or transfer.
Customs clearance is a procedure after customs clearance, which sends relevant information about the release of goods and information about the goods that have been loaded onto the ship to the customs, records and archives it, and conducts subsequent export tax refunds (foreign exchange verification) and other work. Therefore, customs clearance date refers to the date on which international sailing ships complete customs procedures and settle various payable payments before export, and are allowed to depart from the port by customs.
Note: Generally, customs clearance is handled around a week after the goods are exported. However, it is also possible to extend the customs clearance time due to some special reasons.
In summary:
(1) The customs clearance is similar to the port clearance, but the customs clearance time is usually half a working day after the port clearance time.
(2) The order of time for customs clearance is in the first place and the time for customs clearance is in the second place.
(3) Customs clearance is the process of handling export tax refunds and other follow-up work by the customs broker (cargo owner) within a few days after customs clearance.
Source: Souhang Network
